Method of Treatment

1 . A method of treating or prophylaxis of a respiratory tract illness in a human, wherein:

the method comprises administering to the human a composition comprising Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or a fermentation product of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or a cell lysate of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04; and

the Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or fermentation product of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or cell lysate of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 is the only probiotic bacterium, probiotic fermentation product and/or probiotic cell lysate in the composition.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the method comprises administering to the human a composition comprising Bifidobacterium lactis BL04, and

the Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 is the only probiotic bacterium in the composition.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respiratory tract illness is an upper respiratory tract illness.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respiratory tract illness is a lower respiratory tract illness.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respiratory tract illness is selected from one or more of the group consisting of tonsillitis, otitis media, rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, sinusitis, nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, a common cold, pharyngitis, epiglottitis, supraglottitis, laryngitis, laryngotracheitis and tracheitis.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human has displayed symptoms of the respiratory tract illness for more than 7 days.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respiratory tract illness is selected from one or more of the group consisting of throat soreness, sneezing, blocked nose, runny nose and a cough.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respiratory tract illness is selected from one or more of the group consisting of bronchitis, acute bronchitis, pneumonia and a lung abscess.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respiratory tract illness is selected from one or more of the group consisting of coughing with chest congestion and coughing with wheezing.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the administration of the Bifidobacterium lactis BL04, fermentation product of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or cell lysate of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 increases granulocyte phagocytic activity in the human.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the administration of the Bifidobacterium lactis BL04, fermentation product of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or cell lysate of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 increases monocyte phagocytic activity in the human.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the administration of the Bifidobacterium lactis BL04, fermentation product of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 and/or cell lysate of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 increases monocyte phagocytic activity in the human.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is prophylactic as to the respiratory tract illness.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is formulated to provide a dose of 10 8 to 10 12 CFU of Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 per day to the human.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human is at least 18 years old.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human is a healthy, physically active adult.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is formulated as a medicament.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is formulated as a food product.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is formulated as a dietary supplement.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the method is a method of prophylaxis of a respiratory tract illness;

the method comprises administering to the human a composition comprising Bifidobacterium lactis BL04;

the Bifidobacterium lactis BL04 is the only probiotic bacterium in the composition; and

the human is a healthy, physically active adult.